The Netherlands must return all its colonial heritage to the countries of origin, if it can be shown with reasonable certainty that those countries have lost the items involuntarily. Today, the Culture Council is giving that advice to Minister Van Engelshoven.
For many museums it is a struggle as to what to do with this part of their collection, but the Council is clear about it: “Historical injustice that took place in the colonial past cannot be undone. But it is possible to correct it. a contribution is made by taking responsibility for that past when dealing with colonial objects. “
The director of the Tropenmuseum thinks that despite the advice, enough art will remain in the Netherlands:
These are works of art that were conquered during colonial wars or when the Netherlands controlled Indonesia and Suriname. Specifically to the period between the early 17th century, when the first ships left for Asia from the Netherlands, and 1975, the year that Suriname became an independent republic. Because these works of art are often not obtained fairly, it is necessary to enter into discussions with the countries about returning the works of art, according to the Council.
Weapons, flags and human remains
It is unclear exactly how many pieces of art are involved, but the Council estimates that the advice has an effect on hundreds of thousands of objects. This concerns, for example, ceremonial weapons, flags, religious objects and sometimes human remains, Jos van Beurden, an independent expert in the field of restitution of colonial heritage, told the NOS program last night. With A View To Tomorrow.
“The first step is to recognize that taking possession of cultural goods against their will has wronged the indigenous population of the colonial areas,” the report said. In order to rectify that injustice, the Netherlands must declare an unconditional restitution. This willingness means that the interests are not weighed against other interests. “Restoration of injustice is not only achieved by restitution, but also by recognizing the injustice and using its rectification as a fundamental starting point.”
It is also recommended to coordinate this policy with the countries where the Netherlands exercised colonial authority, including at least Indonesia, Suriname and the Caribbean islands. “Watch out for a neo-colonial repetition of the past in which one’s own views, feelings, norms and values are the guiding principles for action.”
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I think there is a lack of will and priority, also in museums.
The minister becomes the representative of the state who determines whether or not the goods are returned, according to the Council for Culture. It should be assisted in this by an independent advisory committee. According to the Board, a center of expertise should also be set up to investigate the origin of cultural goods in return applications and to set up a database. Museums should also investigate the provenance of their colonial cultural objects.
That provenance research is now taking a very long time, said Van Beurden and cultural historian Nancy Jouwe H.et Eye. For example, in 1980 Sri Lanka asked for the return of the Kandy cannon, one of the showpieces in the Rijksmuseum. The gun is still in the Netherlands, but talks are now being held between Sri Lanka and the Netherlands.
“Thorough research can be unnecessarily long,” says Van Beurden. Jouwe: “I think there is a lack of will and priority, also with museums. Part of it is state property, so the government also has a role in this. Sometimes museums use that a little to hide behind it.”
Van Beurden hopes that the long investigation duration will be adjusted and that a maximum investigation time will be agreed. “They’ve been working on one object for years, how about those hundreds of thousands of objects? Actually, you would want a relaxation, a general pardon. That if everyone knows that something is a spoil of war, there is no need for further investigation.”